Vince Gill

share

Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, the son of a federal judge and a homemaker. By the time he was in high school, he had become proficient on the banjo and guitar and was playing in his first bluegrass band. After graduation, he turned professional, working with such acts as the Bluegrass Alliance, Boone Creek, Sundance and, most famously, Pure Prairie League. For a time, Gill also toured with Rodney Crowell’s high-octane backup band, the Cherry Bombs. In 1983, he signed to RCA Records, where he scored his first solo country hits, among them "Oklahoma Borderline" and "Cinderella."

Gill moved to MCA Records in 1989. The following year, he achieved his big breakthrough with "When I Call Your Name," which won the Country Music Association’s Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors, including Entertainer of the Year twice and Song of the Year four times. To date, Gill has earned more CMA trophies than anyone else in history. He has hosted the nationally televised CMA awards show since 1992.